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Braised Duck Legs and Sautéed Duck Breast

We love how Carena uses every part of the duck: The carcass makes a velvety broth for braising the wings and legs until they're fall- off-the-bone tender; the breast is seared and sprinkled with minced parsley and garlic, so the dish really runs the gamut from deeply meaty to fresh and vibrant.

Heat remaining teaspoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook duck breasts, skin sides down, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook about 6 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Mix together parsley and garlic. Slice breasts crosswise. Serve legs and wings over parsnips and serve sliced breast on the side. Sprinkle with parsley mixture.

Cooks' notes:

•Stock can be made 1 day ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Fat will be easier to remove once cold and solidified.
•Legs and wings can be braised 1 day ahead and chilled.

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Recent Reviews

Absolutely worth the effort! It definitely took me more than the estimated time and most time spent was 'active' between chopping and cleaning up (probably closer to 4 1/4 hours), but I enjoy cooking and the time and effort just tends to make the dish even better! I did alter the recipe slightly, but I am sure it would have been delicious either way! I used half the parsnips, and supplemented the other half with 4/5 sweet potatoes and 1/5 carrots. I also grated some of the ginger - I couldn't quite tell if I was supposed to grate the entire "inch" but that probably would have overpowered the dish. The separate flavors are so subtle, yet blend together to create a rich and beautifully complex dish. I would absolutely make this again-it may have been one of the top three dishes I have ever made!

We love duck and love this recipe. I consider duck a signature chefs' dish, meaning it's a superb dish but demands proper preparation. This recipe is among the best I've ever tried. With a Sauce Brigarade (orange sauce from scratch), this dish is right up near the top of my list.
I usually skip the vegetable part, preferring more gently cooked vegetables to accompany the dish.
I just wish I could find a source for duck breasts instead of the whole bird!!

RLP1949 from Wenatchee, WA /

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I made this last winter and loved it so much I bought 3 more ducks the next time I went to the supermarket. I'm making it again tomorrow. My husband didn't care for the parsnips but he doesn't know what's good (except maybe for me)so we won't listem to him. He ate everything else without complaint. It was well worth the time. Thank you.

Cornfedwithbutter from Iowa /

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My husband requested duck for dinner. I've never cooked duck so I came to this website for advice/recipes. This was awesome! I followed the recipe to the letter,I plan on making it again & again.

tuptuptwo from Lansing MI /

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I made this meal for our Christmas
dinner this year. I do like that it
uses the entire duck and provides a
variety of ways to prepare and
present it. My variations were
minor. Picking up on an idea from
another reviewer, I did prepare the
stock in my crock pot. It only took
me 15 minutes or so to deconstruct
the duck and get the ingredients
into the crock pot before heading to
work. The rest I did as the recipe
directed (except I had forgotten to
pick up ginger root at the store, so
I used some ginger powder). I also
made a port wine reduction to serve
with the breast meat and added a
potato rosti (another Epicurious.com
recipe. I used the fat skimmed from
the stock for this). The meal got
rave reviews from
my family and I would definitely
make it again. It wasn't as
difficult or time consuming as I
originally thought from reading the
recipe. Pre-prep, as the recipe
notes discuss, are a definite plus!